Illinois Tax Credit Scholarships

The new state program "Invest in Kids" offers a transformational opportunity for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago through tax credit scholarships (TCS). Illinois children from low-income families will now have access to new scholarships to attend non-public schools. Tax credit scholarships cover up to 100 percent of tuition and fees for students starting in the 2018/2019 school year. Scholarship eligibility is based on a family's income. For example, a student could receive a scholarship if his/her family income is less than $72,900.

"Invest in Kids" provides Illinois state income tax credits to individuals and corporations who contribute money to an approved Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). SGOs are independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that award scholarships to eligible students from low-income families. Individuals and corporations may receive a credit for their Illinois state taxes equal to 75 percent of donations to a SGO. Individuals can designate their donation to a school or a subset of schools.

You, too, can "Invest in Kids" in three easy steps:

1) Apply for a tax credit at mytax.illinois.gov.

Applicants are required to have a MyTax Illinois account Visit archchicago.org/tcs for step-by-step instructions for creating an account and applying for the tax credit.

2) Donate to a SGO within 60 days.

Once the application is approved, donate to a Scholarship Granting Organization such as Empower Illinois within 60 days.

3) Designate your donation to Chicago Catholic Schools.

During the donation process, donors have the option to donate to a specific Catholic school or the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools system.

Please consider making a donation. The demand for scholarships vastly outweighs the available funds. Four out of five students who have applied will not receive a scholarship unless more individuals and corporations come forward to donate to this worthwhile cause. If you would like more information, contact the Archdiocese of Chicago Tax Credit Scholarship Office at archchicago.org/tcs or (312) 534-2617 for details.